A new survivor
by Kishigolover2000 x
Summary: After Terminus. All the characters are alive, holed up in a hospital. CarlxOC
1. Chapter 1

**A new survivor**

So, walking dead is my favorite show (followed closely by Criminal Minds and Bones). I love the character Carl, and the actor Chandler Riggs is very talented. I love the Carl/OC pairing, and really don't like the Carl/SOPHIA pairing. i hope you like this fic x

P.S. Tried to use American language and products, I'm english btw

Chapter 1

Catching up with the crew

"So, what do you miss the most Rick? From before..." Beth tried to form the words.

"The world went to shit?" Suggested Daryl with his usual cocky smirk. A tight smile tugged at everyone's lips. After getting free from terminus, all the original group members from the prison and the 'gonna save the world' dudes went their separate ways from the other 'cattle'. Luckily, no one had been eaten. They were currently holed up in a hospital surrounded on one side by a housing development and on the other side, a wood. It was two years after and Judith was now 4.

"Going to the firing range." Answered Rick. Someone snickered.

"The whole world is a firing range now Dad".

Rick looked towards his boy with a light in his eyes that only his children or occasionally Michonne could bring. "What about you then Carl?" The group looked over to their leaders son.

He wanted to say 'Our house' and, 'My friends'... 'My Mom'...

"Subway" he decided on "A nice juicy meatball marinara. Michonne?" Again, she wanted to say the things that she truly missed but did the same as Carl.

"Nutella. I could've eaten a whole tub" She said, licking her fingers to illustrate this.  
everyone had a food they missed, so when ever they made a run, they would look out for their favorite foods. In fact, it was time for yet another run to be completed. As Carl was now 17, he was allowed to go on scouting and runs. He had become a rather accomplished tracker as well as a hunter. It was often a tag team of Carl, Michonne, Rick and Daryl that went out. The other members of the group were well versed in defense by now and could hold down the fort without them. Some of the coldness from Lori's death had evaporated away from Rick and Carl. They acted like Father and son as well as friends. There was laughter, jokes, love... It was almost too good to be true.

They were running low on meat and various foods so they decided to take a run into town and then into the woods to hunt and set new traps. They had to set traps that held the caught game high in the air so the walkers couldn't get them. They also managed to grow vegetables, fruit and herbs in the middle part of the hospital gardens. They made their way through the housing estate to the little town. They kept extra supplies under the floorboards of each house, incase they are overrun and can't grab any from the hospital. Each door had a graffiti 'x' on it. If the house was cleaned out, a line from a song would be written on it. Only 8 of the 20 were left. Last week, each garden had been fortified and various fruit and veg planted. They got into one of the 8 houses shortly after sunrise. Each room had a stash of food made to feed 5 on rations for a week. As they were now only extras, they lasted even longer. The food was made up of stuff from the homes, hospital vending machines and cars. In each house was a very stocked medical kit also. All of them had secret rooms to camp in also. The stairs had been knocked out from all of the houses and replaced with a rope pulley system courtesy of Carol.

Entering the house, Carl took note of the fact that whoever lived here had a few kids. He wondered where they were now? Were they fortunate like him, have a family member still and the most safety this world could offer? Had they survived, but were alone? Did the house get overrun and they got bit and turned? Did their parents mercy kill them? He always worried about his baby sister.

"Hey, Carl?" Asked Michonne, looking over worriedly at the boy.

He snapped out of his dreary daydreaming. "Mmn huh?" He questioned?

"Are you ok?" Michonne had been such a wonderful person to him. He had often said to her, that she was almost like his Mom. She could never replace Lori, but she could be there for him and care like his Mother once did.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just out of it a bit i guess?" He carried on searching the house. There were 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, an attic, a kitchen, study, Dining room and living room. The attic and one of the bedrooms was spent, so Carl went into one of the others. he opened the floor boards under the rug and reached in. He found Glenn's favorite, Hershey's Cookies and cream. There was also about twenty packets of various brands and flavor chips, some powdered milk and eggs and well as dried fruits. That seemed to be enough. They would next go into the woods and collect the game they had set traps for.

The drive there was uneventful. No walkers which was good. Every few days they would go out on a kill spree. Whittling down the walkers meant that if a herd past through, at least nearby ones wouldn't join them. They had gone out on one of those spree's the day before so that explained why their were none. they reached the forests edge after bringing the rations they collected. Glenn had practically screamed with joy. He had also refused to share with Maggie so she was now sulking.

They reached the part of the forest where the car could go no further and walked cautiously into the brush. They found 10 of the 14 traps near the lake as most creatures would go there to drink. They had gotten a doe, six rabbits, two squirrels and a woodchuck. The next three were empty and the next... there were walkers. But not a couple. About a dozen. They were going to split up and draw them away... Until Carl slipped down the hill. He fell flat on his rear in front of the dead people. It took the walkers a few seconds to realize they had bigger, better live prey. They started towards him. He was trapped. Suddenly, something dropped from the tree tops above. Something came swinging into the walkers head. Instead of the rotting face of a once living stranger, he saw a terrifyingly beautiful girl with a baseball bat. She grabbed him up to his feet and passed him a handful of bullets. Luckily, they were 45mm bullets. He put them in his pocket and started to fire shots into the zombies and reload as the girl swung at them. They managed to put down half of them which meant that they could clamber up the hill towards the others. The girl, still silent, motioned that she wood lift him up. Then she said, "Take a running start". She had an Irish accent. He did as he was told, running and taking a jump up, with her help, to Michonne. The girl reached up to a root. She started to climb. She then lost her footing. A hand grabbed her foot and started to pull. As she was going to fall, someone clasped onto her sleeve, tugging her up. She fell on top of someone. A boy. The boy she had saved. The debt was paid. They ran. She followed them, to their car. They got in, motioning for her to, also. She ended up squeezing in the back between the boy and the lady. The two men sat in the front seats. They drove for about five minutes then stopped. The dude with the crossbow turned around to look at the as of yet, nameless girl.

"We have to blindfold you" he said in his southern accent. She nodded. She knew why. She allowed herself to be blinded. Maybe the decision was made out of stupidity or maybe because she had been alone so long... They must have used bandages because that's what they felt like. They were also clean and had the hospital smell. _They must be holed up in the Lorical Memorial hospital_ she thought.

So much for trying to hide where they are... The car took some swift lefts and rights then went on straight. She was good at knowing where she was going. They slowed and eventually stopped. They pulled her out of the car gently, which probably wouldn't have happened if she had not risked her life for one of theirs. They lead her inside, where they took off the unnecessary blind fold. Yup. It was the main reception of the hospital where she had been treated as a younger girl. She shattered her kneecap a year before the walkers appeared. Her drawing was still on the wall.

They all looked towards her.

"Well, to cut things short," she put her bat over her shoulder. "my name is Willow Holding, I'm 19, I'm alone and have been for a while now."

The group looked to the man with shortish curly hair and a beard. "How many living people you killed?"

She looked taken aback, as well as scared. she cleared her throat. "About twenty." They all stood there shocked. She motioned to the man she reckoned was the leader to come closer. She even put down her bat. He came over. "Can we talk, privately?"

Carl sat on a chair with the others, wondering how she could have killed so many? Why would his Dad ever possibly let her stay?

The door to the office opened. They both walked out, his hand resting on the small of her back.

"Everyone? This girl has made a startlingly good case to stay. You will treat her the same way you treat each other. She has offered to show us to a place where she has been rearing some sheep and planting fruit and crops which we can use. Don't ask about the conversation we just had or why so many were killed by her hand. Her hands, are clean!" Everyone stayed silent for a heartbeat.

"Good enough for me." Said the guy Rick had indicated as Daryl. "Welcome to ER!"

**Hope you like the opening chapter! Have a Teen Wolf one coming soon as well as Criminal Minds, Harry Potter and a Tokyo Mew Mew fic that is in progress. Review please x**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2, Integrating

Why would he do that? Why would he let her in? He's never let someone in who killed over 6? Carl mused to himself and decided to stay as far away as possible from the new member of their group. As promised, she took them to a large ware house thing. First, Carl thought she was luring them into a trap. It was surrounded by walkers! They were fenced in too. She then lifted up a carpet and a trap door.

"It's to keep people from stealing it". She said. The group seemed to collectively nod in realisation. She led them down the tunnel and it was about a minute to walk. She came to the third trap door. All the others were traps to other rooms filled with walkers. She was very cunning. He made another mental note to ask her before he touched anything.

The trap door went into an office room. Through the dusty window, he could see three pens of animals. One was distinctly white so he reckoned sheep. On what very small and moving quickly so chickens. Another... He squinted.

"Pigs" She answered his unsaid question. She turned to address the group. The whole building is self sufficient. I come back here every week to replenish the feeders. I have a little machine that rations it. The vegetables and fruit are grown on the roof. You can come see if you want." She turned to a steal cabinet and opened it with a key. Inside was a ladder that she started to climb. The next mental note, was to ask her where she got all these ideas from. He went after her an emerged in another world. There were flowers of all colors and sizes. Apples, Oranges, Cherry's. Carrots, lettuce, cabbages you name it! His mental notes were full so he blurted out the next question.

"How did you do all of this?" He asked the girl. She turned away, a sad smile playing at her lips.

"My family did it." She went over to an arch covered in tiny yellow flowers.

They went around the garden and realized there was more than enough to keep a stable life at the hospital. Each fruit/vegetable was in four or five different patches at varying degrees of maturity. She must have really worked hard. It was like the whole area was a greenhouse. She explained that there was indoor drainage that went into several water butts that were measured to collect the right amount of water for all the plants for a month. when they were full, they were full. There were back up ones inside in case there was a dry season.

"Mama and papa were always waiting for the world to go to shit. They knew something was gonna happen. I guess that what was prepared for society to fall worked pretty well for a zombie apocalypse..." She trailed off and looked at the six rose bushes. Each one had a stone by them with a name, DOB, DOD and a small verse. One was bigger and held two names. Doreen and James. James born 1968, Doreen 1970. The most loving parents a girl could have. There was one for a baby. Lila. Two ten year olds Mickey and Dan. One for a middle aged woman who was the girls godmother and one for a 80 year old man. She had to bury her entire family. Carl changed the way he looked at the girl. Sure, his mother was taken but he had his dad, his sister and the rest of them. She was alone. Completely alone.

"Thank you." He said to her. With all the sincerity he could muster. She smiled sadly as she turned to him. She knew what he knew about her. She then motioned for them to come over to the railings. There was a little ladder that lead down to a ten by ten foot fenced area. The walkers growled and tried to reach their hands through the fence. Under a dust sheet... Was a Harley. A real, big, Harley. Daryl whistled.

"That's a beast. It yours?" He went to touch it but she smacked his arm away.

"Mine. The one thing i will not share with you" She grinned and Daryl grinned as well. She was fitting in nicely.

So, she opened the gate and got on the bike. "You know how to get out?" They nodded. She hit the gas and said "Good. Race ya!" So she sped out and Daryl closed the gate. Carl went running through the doors and up to the office. Everyone managed to follow. Carl remember how many doors they passed before they got to the one without a booby trap. When he opened it, he was glad to see that she wasn't there. As he turned to help out the others, he saw her high up in a tree eating what looked like a Twinkie.

"So slow." She said as she took another bite. She threw him another one of the delicious golden bars. "Hide that, before they see it". She said winking at him. He put the culinary gold into his pocket. He made sure it was well hidden just as the others started to file out of the trap door. The drive back was uneventful. They all talked like friends though. It had been such a very long time since they knew they had food for as long as they need it. When they got back, they regaled what they ha seen to the rest of the group. Daryl and Rick cleaned out a room for the girl that had given them new life.

What they didn't know was just how useful she would be.

She had been with them for a whole season. It was turning into autumn. The food was always available and she told them how they would still get it to grow in the summer and winter. She used mirrors and glass to bounce the heat and light around the green house. She was such a sad girl but she had earned a nickname. Care bear. This had stemmed from yet another 'What did you miss most?' conversation. They had gotten onto cartoons they reckoned that Judith may had liked and they got onto the Care Bears. Willow had never hear of them so we made them out to be monstrous creatures that preyed on children. She just laughed and said 'I don't remember anything called a care bear, bet i was a dull kid. Or just civilized'. She was so funny and Carl couldn't help but admit, she had grown on him a bit.

One day, they were out hunting.

"Carl..." she started as we got to a clearing. It was really dark. We often hunted at night as it always seemed like the woods were quieter. Easier to hear walkers and less likely they'll see them. She was gutting a woodchuck. he let her do that job after he took it down. She didn't like it but it meant that he would be carrying.

"Yes?" He answered. She turned from her work, wiping the back of her hand across her brow, smudging some blood onto her white skin.

"What do you honestly think of me? you never pushed me when i told everyone how many humans i had killed... Do you feel sorry for me-" She stood up, close to his face. She was at least three inches shorter than him, had a cute little dimple right on her lip and her eyes... He had never noticed how blue they were. "Or do you fear me?"

He honestly didn't have and answer. but what tumbled out of his mouth next, was embarrassing to say the least.

"I'm fascinated by you". He whispered. He started to lean ever closer until they heard a noise. They broke eye contact and turned. There were walkers. No. Other humans. They knew as they were running. They dropped to the floor. Splayed like they were dead. They heard them come closer. One man paused.

"These must have just been bitten. Shall i shoot them?" Willows eyes snapped open. She looked over the Carl who had the same look of panic on his face.

"Yeah" Came a voice from their right. The guy above them cocked his gun. As he was about to shoot, a shrill scream cut through the night.

"Leave them." Said the voice again. "They wont be able to catch us when they turn anyway". They started to move off in the direction of the scream. As their footsteps died off, they sat up. As frequent forest hunters, they knew that the wind had carried the scream from further to the right than the direction they had taken. They knew, that that was the scream of a child. Neither of them could resist helping a little girl. Carl because of Sophia and he guessed Care Bear had her own reasons. They went towards the creek. They found a girl, no older than 6. Silently, Care bear got her on her shoulders and ran. Carl had the game. They ran very fast with their respective loads. They had had to learn that to survive.

When they got o the hospital, they took the morgue tunnels. They burst through the doors.

A while later, they had the little girl, Sadie, tucked up with a drink of orange juice.

Carol was asking questions. The little girl wouldn't answer. When Carol tried to touch her ankle, she screamed. Maggie saw blood seeping through. She asked to look and the girl shook her head.

"Please sweetie. You don't wanna get that infected hey?" The little girl thought for a moment and showed her the ankle. She had been branded. To Carl, it looked familiar. Willow got called to help dress it. Still, the girl wouldn't speak. When the first gauze was taken off everyone heard a loud gasp. It had come from Willow. She came forward.

"No... This is why you ran away isn't it? It was your taking day... A Six girl..." She reached down to her own jeans, and lifted them. They revealed the number 10. That's were he saw it. A heart with a number in it. One day when hunting, Willows trousers had ridden up. He saw a burn. The girl looked at her, eyes filling with tears. She reached for Care Bear, hugging her waist. Everyone in the room left to let the girl cry.

A few hours later, Care bear came out of the room.

"She's asleep... I suppose you want an explanation..." She hung her head. Anyone that was not already looking turned to her.

"Non of you know who i really am. The reason i killed so many... I was kept. In a place like hers. I fought myself out. I knew how to shoot guns from my papa..."

Everyone stood, silent. Til, at last, Carl spoke up.

"What- Where were you kept?" He looked at her head, her eyes at the floor. She looked up, tears in those beautiful blue eyes.

"The heart... They dealt in people". Carl didn't understand.

"Soldiers? She's way too young..." She stepped back into a chair.

"Not soldiers... Slaves. Sex slaves..."

The room was silent.

Okay guys, I apologize. For some reason i haven't been able to get on. Before then, i was diagnosed with clinical depression and serious anxiety. Haven't been in the best way to write. I'm back now though. So... Yeah.


	3. Alert

Alert

I'm very sorry for my extended absence. I have not been very well. I was diagnosed with Depression and Anxiety as well as Sleep deprivation and most recently kidney problems. As a Christmas treat, I'm try to spurn out a few chapters of each of the two fics i have going on at the moment. As ever, thanks for reading


	4. Thank you to WY Not chapter

To Wendy Yamada,

Thank you so very much for your patience. I had a new chapter written but loe and behold, my computer set a light on my bed and the whole modem was lost. I will be spending today re-writing that chapter and I plan to have it up by 8 o'clock.

Again, thank you for your understanding

KL2000


	5. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

She sat down in front of the elders of the group.

Carol. Rick. And Carl. Believe it or not, the elder status grows for how long you have been part of the group. Not age. The ones that have seen people of the group fight and die.

She looked extremely uncomfortable.

She spoke

"You can expect, that with a world without law and order, criminals flourished. The worst of the worst. Murders. Rapists and paedophiles. They made a unit in the west. We, my family and I, managed to survive on our own. One day, a heard separated my mother and I from the group. We were in a pickle, then they found us. I was too young to understand what was going on. The children, up to 18, were put in rooms with numbers. I was 8, but I lied so they put me in twelve. Slowly, girls would leave, and new ones take their place. Then they took me for my marking. Twelve. Then, I was put in a different room. Still number 12 but the girls were sad. Most would cry themselves to sleep. Four days in, I was taken to a room with a man and…" She sniffed.

"It's okay dear." Carol said softly, as she covered my already shaking hands with hers. Willow paused for a shaky breath then continued.

"After the first time…

I was thrown back in the room like a piece of meat being discarded after use. I now understood the pain of the girls in that room. They finally welcomed me as their own. The ones that didn't cry, came to comfort me. I saw how the wheel of torture went. You were Taken in a certain year of your life. If you became pregnant, you had a choice. Leave the child and go somewhere else. Free from torture. Or, they could take it for the rest of their life. And save the child. As most of the children were born out of rape and not love, it was hardly ever the latter. That only happened once. That girl became the leader. She looked after the girls and if any man so much as laid a finger on her? They were gutted. The one thing that you could always count on them for, was their word. They never broke it.

The girls who were newly taken, were consoled by the ones who were taken before. And so on.

My father found us though. One of the girls in twelve was pregnant. She hadn't told but she started to give birth that night. In solitary. With me. I had been their one year. She gave birth and promptly died.

"I had only one chance to leave. I pretended the child was my own and bartered for my release. And my Mothers. I asked them, as I had never ever gone against their will like the others, would they spare my mother? She was in her 40's. Not as attractive as the young ones. She hadn't been chosen in a whole month for preference of a younger model. They let us go on the account that we could get far enough away in a day, that when they gave a day's chase, they did not find us. We met up with our father and left. They did find us…"

The room was silent for a while. No one knew what to say to this.

"I killed so many, to save my family. I have fashioned a bow from tree and arrows from bark to make them lighter and faster. I killed 19 men with the bow, and one with my own bare hands… I had to protect my family. And I did… That is why I killed so many."

Rick stood. He had a truly sad look upon his face. And he asked "Where?"

She led them to a courthouse. It had twenty jail cells for multiple prisoners at a time at the back, where they kept the girls, and boys for 'use. There were also about 20 gourds. This was a big group. They had no chance of being able to free them… without…

"Infiltration. From both sides." Said Carl.

"The prey, and predator. We need someone to go in as a slave and someone, a man, as their kin. I know how it works. They can take me. But someone has to go in as the one of the men."

Carl instantly put his hand up but they all looked to Daryl. Carl moved into their line of sight.

"No. I will not let her go in without me." The offer was brave, but what he didn't know, was that young boys were also used. Willow pulled his hand down and gave him a stern look.

So it was decided that Willow and Daryl would go in and try to save the innocents left to rot with the refuse of man.

KL2000: Very sorry for the delay. All the chapters of today are gonna be about 200 words short so I can get a chappy out for all stories. Thanks for baring with,

As usual, Favourite and Follow


	6. Chapter 4

**KL2000- So… I'm back guys. Deciding to use writing as therapy, cos god knows I can't afford private or be able to wait for the two year long list to get smaller.**

Willow walked to her room and packed some stuff. As she was going under her bed to get her secret weapon, Carl walked in.

"I can't believe that you are voluntarily going back there. Are you mad?"

Willow straightened to her knees. She sighed. "But that's not why you're mad is it?" She tuned and looked to him. She found that she had to hold the tears from spilling.

Carl was taken aback by her question. He obviously had had a big lecture planned which disappeared the moment the first tear fell.

He knelt beside her. "Why didn't you tell me? Did you not trust me?" He lay his hand on her back. She stiffened and abruptly rose.

She looked at him sharply. "Why wouldn't a girl want to tell a guy that she was a sex slave? Especially one… One that… She…" The tears were pouring now. She grabbed her bag and took off down the hall.

They sat there, on the front steps. Her, ready to be made into a victim once more and him, about to be seen as a paedophile. Neither of them good ways the spend the next week.

"Six days, then we're stepping in to help. If you haven't sent the signal by then, we're going in". Rick stared us down as if to say, this was law.

They looked at each other, then nodded. They had decided to have daryl go in with Willow as a prisoner, a peace offering. She needed to be bloodied up first. No one would hit her so she did the next best thing. She fell back over a short staircase, covering her head to stop any real damage and then ripped her top and shorts, so it looked like he had already…

He tied her hads behind her back and they set off by foot. They walked for a while. Just as they got within about fifty meters, he whispered "Don't believe anything I say, treat me like a enemy". She started to struggle as they clsed in on the unholy brothel.

The guards heard the commotion and aimed their weapons at the brush they were behind.

"Stay still" They shouted "Or we will fire". They bellowed as the two came within eyeshot.

Daryl whispered sorry into her ear and grabbed her by her hair. She had to fake pain, but not completely.

"I heard you take guys that like… The finer things in life when they bring you a" He sniffed her hair, which was, yeah, an act but still creepy "Peace gift".

The men called to open the doors. Six men came out and surrounded them. They all had weapons ranging from knives and guns to baseball bats with nails in and even throwing stars.

Daryls perpective

He pulled Willow tighter to his body and spun slowly to take in his em=nemy, fearing the ppan had failed, he braced for an all out war. Then the circle broke to reveal a man. A very ugly man. In every sense but physical. He could feel the testosterone and arrogance from where he stood. He knew what he had to do, saying a silent apology, he threw willow at the man feet where she acted, or well, maybe may have been telling the truth a bit, with absolute terror. She attempted to flee, but was caught around the waist by a man that was about three times her size. She flailed about weakly, try to show them how unintimidating she was. She eventually stopped and started to cry. Rather convincingly.

The man smiled at her and went to look at her ankle.

"An escapee huh?" He turned to Daryl, smirking. "Thank you um… Can I get your name so I can get you a drink?"

"Daryl… So I'm in?" He said, hating that he had to speak those words.

The men laughed as they put down their weapons. One spoke up "Luckily one of the men died last night so we have an opening. Welcome to Valhalla!"

Willows Perspective

She was happy about her acting skills. _But were you really acting?_ Said a voice in her head. _It's fine to be scared after what they did to you… _She squashed that voice down. She would not be afraid anymore.

They pulled her by the elbow to the infirmary. She remembered this walk well. They took her to the nurse. She used to be used as a doll before she hit 30 when she was kept on as the replacement doctor after the other was stabbed to death by a girl from 18. She had been killed shortly after.

Nurse Yumi told the men to leave. She saw the brand on my leg, which meant I didn't need one, thank god. She put me in a small plastic walled room. She asked me to strip, which I did, reluctantly. She brought out a hose and proceeded to water me down. She then asked if I could wash myself. I agreed so she gave me a sponge and body wash. The one thing this place was good at was cleanliness. All the girls are showered and groomed every 3 days. She hosed Willow off again. She then asked her to pee into a cup and took a pregnanct test and chlamydia test. She then did a vaginal swab for any other STD's. This was standard procedure. All came back negative, of course. She stared to shave my legs and asked me general health questions. When I was changing into the uniform, she asked me

"So, did you escape or where you given the day to leave?" It seemed to be just out of curiosity, and I'm sure there were many who had done the same, so I answered,

"The day ma'am". She said as she pulled up the trousers. She stepped to the wall where Yumi had told her to stand when done and waited for more instruction. When she was shown to number 17, she thought to herself, _What have I gotten us into_?

In the forest with Carl and Rick

The others were talking about the strategy again. Carl had alrrady learnt it by heart. He was still confused about what Willow had meant. Why would she not want to tell me? I'm her best friend! She can tell me… But… Who wouldn't she want to know except… _Well, we do spend all our time together and… She always makes fun of me but is never mean and… She's beautiful but… I'd never have a chance but… Does Willow see me as… More than a friend?_

**KL2000- Half hearted cliffie. Glad to be back guys!**

**Fave and Follow!**


	7. Chapter 5

**KL2000- So, it has been a very long time since I uploaded, over a year! A lot has happened. I managed to mostly get over my depression and anxiety after splitting with my useless ex, started university doing a social work course and have fallen in love, even though it's not really come to anything and I'm keeping my eyes open. A friend of mine reminded me how much I used to love writing so here goes!**

**Chapter 5**

Willows Perspective

It was a walk she knew all too well. A terrible walk. And again, she did it unarmed and scared, though she would never admit that to anyone. The inside of the compound had always reminded her of a mad house. The kinds of ones where insane criminals were kept. After a while, the treatment they received turned them mad, cruel or suicidal. Only the very few were able to stand it and still keep their cool. She had been one of them, but this walk that she vaguely remembered was occurring, seemed to shake that foundation of cool and collectiveness.

As they came upon room 17, she could hear a difference. The older the room, the quieter the girls. They had surrendered themselves to this life, as many had been in it for years. It was enough to make you cry…

As the steel door was creaking open, it shook her from her thoughts. Yumi gently ushered her inside.

She recognised a few of the girls. All the girls used the same bathrooms so it was easy to know most of them. They all looked towards the door, some recognised her and the look of pity appeared. When someone escaped, everyone hoped they would never come back. That's the one kind thing all the girls have in common. The other girls in the room simply looked curious and sad. Willow had her bunk pointed out to her and went to it, lying down to sleep.

Normal POV

They had just barely avoided a scout party of despicable men. Willow had explained that lots of the buys that were raped to adulthood stayed on as the perpetrators. She also reminded me that not all do that. Some ran, some killed themselves or just became janitors, protectors, tailors… _The women hadn't got that chance… _he could hear the words she had spoken to him. The only reason the nurse was allowed a proper job was because she had the training to do so. The women were meat, except Yumi. Carl felt agitated. It was getting dark. Her first night back in that awful place… He wished he could save her from this… Make it so they wouldn't touch her. He'd caught her crying the n9ght before going back. He could hear Carol soothing her. Willow had always been so strong. Even when she injured herself, pretty bad as well, she would just grin and bear the pain without so much as a noise or a tear. Hearing her had been the reason he went to her to convince her to not go.

A noise behind them jolted Carl from his inner ramblings. It was a walker. Rick dispatched him quickly and quietly as Carl silently mused… _Who's safer? Us? Or them?_

Daryl's POV

He hadn't felt this uncomfortable and slimy since he had to run round with his brother that one time in Kansas. Walking by the rooms on the tour, he could see the fear in the girl's eyes as he passed. Fear at him, specifically. Of course, these girls would know the appetites and ways of the paedophiles and rapists already there but not this new stranger. He passed 17, looked in and recognised Willow as she lay sleeping on a cot in the middle right of the room.

He knew there would be some kind of initiation. Willow had already told him that this happens each time. Either he would have to kill on the of the youngest, rape one of the women, or the boys. Luckily, all these happened in the private room.

He was taken to the mess hall. There, was a table with a much bigger, comfier chair. This chair held what Daryl assumed, was the leader of the depraved heart group. The man looked up from what seemed to be a meeting.

The large brute of a guy next to him nodded to the brute behind Daryl.

"This one wants to take Arnie's place, brought us an old initiate too, so we don't even have to break her in" The man said, smiling. All yellow crooked teeth.

The leader, looked towards the brute "An which of our old students is this, Bartholomew?"

Bartholomew walked closer to the leader "The Irish one, blue eyes, long hair… Name like a plant?"

The leader had a moment of contemplation. He consulted a chart. He went back a couple years and found what he was looking for. Daryl decided to look harder. It was a list of descriptions, the one he could see clearly was

Agatha

5'3"

Chubby

Black

Hazel eyes

Black short hair

Age 14

Claimed age 13

Escaped/Day start- Escaped

DECEASED

The last part made Daryl feel even more sick.

He looked at Willows. Her age and age of claiming was wrong of course, and the description was a little off, as she had filled out, grown a lot taller and was still alive. They must have assumed she had died after their guards didn't make it either.

"Willow! Ah, I remember that one. Bartered for her mother to be let free also. I thought she had been swept up in a herd? Least, that's what you said James?" The leader looked to a slightly scared man.

"I heard her screaming and the men screaming, and moans and groans so I guessed that's what happened…" he said sheepishly, looking at the ground, rather intent on concentrating his laces to tie it seemed. "Sorry Caine… I didn't want to die too".

Caine… that was his name. Seemed fitting from biblical times as a murderer. And Daryl realised, that they would want to question her. Whether it was before or after his initiation he did not know, but he was suddenly fearful for the girl. He treated her like a little sister, like Beth… Which was why he couldn't strike her, even to save her life.

As he was thinking this, his inner qualm was answered.

"Sit um, Daryl? Yes, sit here and we shall ask your quarry together how she was able to survive to become safe in your um…" He paused for a slight evil chuckle "Hands". He waved to Bartholomew.

Willows POV

She was awoken from her sleep by the slight shrieks of the others in the room. She opened her eyes to a great big ugly beastly man leering over her. She, of course, expected to be called to see Caine. She always was his favourite toy. The man picked her up. When she saw the tattoo on his back she recognised him.

"Barty?" She questioned. He gave her that toothy grin again. Barty had always been nice to her. HE used to say she was funny. He never hurt her, she knew the other girls were afraid of him due to his size, but it was obvious that he was not into them. Or the buys for that matter. Willow had always though him to be autistic. Just following his big brother. They were almost at the mess hall. She asked to be put down and Barty obliged. She always knew how to talk to him. She walked through the double doors with her head held high but the moment she saw him, she damn near fainted. It was a lot to process. Seeing her old torturer again. It would have been easier if he had hurt her so much but he hadn't. He'd been gentle. Which made it all the worse for seeing him, and made her want to rip out his heart right there and then.

Barty pointed to a chair that had been pulled in front of the "Monster Council" (least that's what her and the other prisoners had called them). She sat down heavily, which showed just how dizzy she was becoming from the whole ordeal. She tried to look each of the Heart council in the eye, but shied away from Caine's rock hard gaze.

He gave her a once over and started to speak "Why! Willow, back so soon? It's been years but I still recognise those beautiful eyes" as he said it, he leaned over and brushed her cheek. She stiffened as if someone had electrocuted her. He pulled back.

"So dear little- well, not so little anymore! Legal now aren't we?" She nodded her head solemnly.

"Well, how did you survive that which my guards didn't?"

She looked to the other monsters sat there and her gaze ran over Daryl. The other men here probably thought he was impatient but she knew different. He was trying to not jump across the table to kill Caine.

She cleared her throat. "As we were running, we fell into a ravine. Your men found us but on their way down, their talking had attracted a bunch of dead ones. Me and my mother use to climb a lot so we snagged a root and started to climb. The dead fell in with your living and ate them. We kept climbing. We lived alone for a while but she died…" She trailed off, hoping that the story would be good enough. The men discussed amongst themselves and seemed to come up with and answer.

Caine looked at Willow…

"Oh" He breathed. "What to do with you Willow dearest…?"

**And that's it! First chappy in over a year! Tell me if my writing style has changed much guys? Like, review and favourite if you wanna!**


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